I have a Fuji I got from Tractor Supply a few years ago. Growing well. Last year we had an apple. I don’t expect much fruit yet. I had already pruned in a shape I thought was good.
This year the diameter is 2" at least. But, I ino blooms. I’ve read others on it. My question is if the rootstock they used was a “vigorous” type, and I cut the top off the branches, I know that can encourage growth, but could that rootstock also cause it not to bloom because I headed the limbs? I didn’t cut it to the bone or anything, not that much really, compared to last year. It’s had fertilizer, water, etc. All I can think is the rootstock type (which is unknown).
Generally, the more vigorous the rootstock, the slower the tree is to blossom and fruit. This is because with a vigorous rootstock, the tree stays in a juvenile state longer, and diverts more energy into vegetative growth instead of reproduction (flower and fruit production).
If your apple is on a vigorous rootstock like M111, it probably has a few more years to grow before it is going to go into serious production.
Assuming you pruned it during the winter, you may have cut off your fruit buds, which on apple trees, are generally formed in late summer or fall of the preceding year. Juvenile trees don’t make many fruit buds, and they tend to appear at the end of branches. If you want early fruiting, I think it is important to bend branches – branches that are more horizontally-oriented tend to produce flower buds faster. (It also makes the tree look better, in my opinion.)
You might consider reading this guide (produced by @Alan) in the following thread: Pruning Guides
I have been adhering to these instructions for pruning my pear trees (which behave largely similarly to apples) and it is starting to bear fruit (literally). I’m getting flowers and fruit on European pears (on vigorous standard rootstock) years earlier than I would have otherwise anticipated.
I’ve been bending my pear branches and they’ve exploded with flowers this year. I think I have 5 new varieties potentially fruiting for the first time. Changing growth habit definitely helps!
And also try pruning in late summer after growth stops, as described in video in below thread, which is supposed to induce flower bud creation. Also, cultivars affect precocity. More than half my apple trees are fruiting on 3rd leaf (m111 rootstock), but my Fuji has not. Fuji was not precocious for me based on my limited experience.
Pruning can cause the formation of fruit spurs prematurely. Make sure you know what they look like before pruning off all the “tiny branches” over the Winter though.
So first of it seems like Fuji is a tip-bearing apple from a quick googley search so you might have cut off some flowers. This is just info online so I cant really speak to anything beyond that. But if that is the case you might have lopped off some flowers via pruning. they say so here about Fuji and recommend this style of pruning. not speaking from any real experience but I doubt this is full of lies Click pruning for apples - Apples
If you got it from Tractor Supply I’m guessing it might be a tree from Pirtle Nursery? If thats the case it will be on one of two rootstocks " What type of rootstock is used?
Apples are grafted onto M106 or M111 apple root stock. This helps with disease resistant, helps with pollination and makes the trees semi-dwarf."
Agree with the branch beding, I cant remember precisely but I think June/July is the best time of year to bend/tie down branches. If it is in fact a pirtle tree you might see if you can narrow it down between 106/111 not sure that will have any bearing on your original question but might be worth knowing.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m no expert but if you post a decent photo of the tree it might be easier to tell. I certainly dont have the eye for it but Fuji is a common apple and I have a feeling more knowledgeable people might be able to tell you if you lopped of the blooming parts
Good old Google. Yes, Fuji can bear fruit on last years wood, but I am a google source who claims this does not a tip-bearer make. In a literal sense many trees are tip-bearers but the term, IMO, should be applied only to varieties whose crops mostly come from last years growth- there aren’t many, but they are the original meaning of the term. Think Yellow Transparent, which is a true tip bearer by my definition. .
Now, back to Fuji… it is a difficult variety to manage on vigorous root stocks because it is overly vigorous to begin with and has a strong biennial tendency. Cutting back branches could keep it vegetative for ages- the trick it to thin branches right to the trunk to create an open tree, where existing branches get enough light to develop fruit buds. Your fruit will come from the well-lit small wood and scaffolds kept close to horizontal will help. The scaffolds on the upper tier or tiers can be pulled below horizontal it you are growing an open center tree. Don’t allow them to reach out more than half as far as branches below. Tying them to a weep works better than cutting them back when you need to get them into fruiting mode.
I should add that a simplified way of managing vigorous varieties like Fuji on vigorous root stocks is to train 3 high scaffolds that you can train to a weep, then you only have to remove the vigorous uprights every year and cycle your spur wood from your weakest shoots. The scaffolds need to start about 6 feet higher than where you want to harvest the lowest fruit from.
Once the scaffolds are established, pruning becomes almost simple. The size of apples may suffer a bit, but not the sugar.